I park my truck and get out, meeting Jason as I walk to the doors. This club is so lame it doesn’t have a line. It’s also completely unsafe because it doesn’t have a bouncer or any security to speak of.
“Hey man,” Jason says, shaking my hand.
“Hey. Let’s do this,” I reply, utterly aware of how anxious I am to get inside this cesspool to her.
As soon as we walk in, we find the girls at the bar with several shots already lined up in front of them. Franny looks like a deer in the headlights, but Stacey looks like she knows what she’s doing and that pisses me off. It’s irrational, and I know it, but it is what it is. Jason makes a beeline for them, and I have no choice but to follow up.
“Jason! Darius!” Stacey shouts just before downing one of her shots. This close, I can tell it’s tequila. My eyes narrow. She will not be driving home tonight. Franny tentatively sips her shot. She looks flustered. “Darius, this is Franny. She’s in accounting. Darius is my assistant.”
“Oh,” she says, extending her hand, which I briefly shake. The way she says “oh” makes me think that she’s heard of me before. “It’s a pleasure.” When Jason growls, I drop her hand quickly. I get it, bro. Message received.
“Why don’t we get a table?” I suggest as a song I don’t recognize comes on.
Franny’s eyes light up. “Dance with me, Stacey. I freaking love Pitbull.”
“Oh, my God! Me too.” They toss their purses at us and head out to the dance floor. I chuckle and scan the room. Spotting an empty booth, I gesture to Jason. The bass is pumping, and it’s gotten much louder in here. The table has an excellent viewpoint of the dance floor. A waitress stops by.
“What can I get you, fine gentlemen?”
“I’ll have a beer and a glass of ice water,” I say.
“And you, sir?” she shouts as the song has changed and gotten even louder.
“The same.”
“Anything not on the menu?” she purrs. I snarl in disgust.
“We’re not interested. Take a hike,” I say.
She leaves in a snit, but if she wants a tip, she’ll bring our damn drinks promptly.
After several more songs, the girls find us, but not before
flagging down a waitress to order more drinks.
“You having fun, Francesca?” Jason asks when she drops down on the bench beside him. I slide over to make room for Stacey, but she just stands by the table, sipping her giant margarita. She looks like sin incarnate. The little ‘o’ her pouty lips make around that straw has me hard as a fucking rock.
“Oh my God, yes. Stace is a great friend.”
“So are you, Franny. Ready to get back out there?” She asks, setting her glass down.
“Oh yeah.” She stands, and they head back out to the dance floor. I stare after her, barely touching my beer.
Before I know it, it’s last call, and both girls are fucked up.
“I took an Uber, so gimme your keys, Stacey. I’ll take Franny home. Darius will give you a ride.” Jason tells his sister.
“Ok, bro,” she says, giggling and does it. Outside the bar, the girls hug like they’ve been friends for years and promise to talk in the morning. I’ll bet anything these two will regret drinking so much on a Tuesday night. We head towards my truck. On her second stumble, I lift her over my shoulder and carry her the rest of the way. She’s so light. Her giggles are going straight to my balls. Setting her in the passenger seat, I buckle her in as she smiles up at me and traces one of her painted nails against my jawline.
The ride to her house is silent. She passes out almost immediately. Her soft snores are adorable. Occasionally, she moans, drawing my attention to her. Fuck. She’s gorgeous. I pull down her long driveway. Getting out of the car, I go around to her side, opening the door. Grabbing her shoes and purse in one hand, I lift her into my arms.
“How’d you know where I live?” she asks, stirring.
“Your brother told me,” I say honestly. She snuggles into my chest as one of their security team members opens the door for us. I take her up the stairs, directly to her room, and lay her down on her bed. I cover her up and move a wastebasket to the side of the bed in case she gets sick in the middle of the night. I put her purse and shoes on a chair in the corner. I’m just about to walk out when I take a last look at her. Instead of sleeping like she was just a second ago, her eyes are open and staring at me.
“How’d you know where my room was?” she asks.